


Little Talks

by lilithenaltum



Series: Both Hearts Beat Like a Metronome [3]
Category: Black Panther (2018), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Background Relationships, Family Bonding, Gen, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Ramonda Is the Best Mom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-14
Updated: 2018-05-14
Packaged: 2019-05-07 01:08:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14660067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilithenaltum/pseuds/lilithenaltum
Summary: Shuri runs to Ramonda for comfort and advice, and finds out that the things a mother knows go beyond the obvious.





	Little Talks

**Author's Note:**

> A little interlude between _Tongue-Tied..._ and the upcoming sequel, _Faith & Desire_. I wanted to write from Shuri's point of view for a change; I think her relationship with her mom is probably one of my favorite familial relationships in MCU canon.

And he is good, so good  
He treats your little girl like a real man should  
He is good, so good, he makes promises he keeps  
No he's never gonna leave  
So don't you worry about me  
Don't you worry about me

 _Mama's Song_  |  **Carrie Underwood**

* * *

 

“Are you going to stop crying for long enough to tell me what’s wrong, Bibi?”

 

Shuri shakes her head, her sobs still coming in violent waves. She vacillated between being distraught at the idea of something happening to tear her from Bucky and being absolutely incensed at how her brother was treating her.

 

“I’m not a child!” she says for what probably is the tenth time now, but it still needs to be stated. She’s not. She’s twenty damned years old, will be twenty one in a month's time and is years past the age of majority and consent. It’s high time T’Challa, and by extension, Okoye knew that.

 

“I’m well aware,” her mother quips, sitting beside her in the large bed. “But you aren’t explaining exactly what’s prompting your reaction. All I’ve heard since you ran here is that and tears.”

 

Shuri’s chest heaves and she stuffs back another sob, her lip wobbling as she looks up to her mother. “You can’t be mad, if I tell you,” she starts, and the look on Ramonda’s face is absolutely comical. Too bad she’s too pissed and scared to really appreciate it.

 

“Bibi...what have you done?”

 

Shuri looks almost apologetic. “I uh...well.” She sniffs, wiping her nose with her hand and Ramonda grimaces, reaching over to grab a tissue from her night stand. “Thank you.”

 

“Start from the beginning,” Ramonda says, as she stands. “I’ll start us a cup of tea.”

 

So she does. She tells her mother all about what she thought was just a crush, all about her feelings for Bucky way back when she was just a girl and too young to do anything about it. She tells her how the feelings grew and grew the closer they became and the deeper their friendship grew. And she confesses about what happened the trip to Oakland, of how she’d incited a little jealousy to get him to act on what she thought was reciprocal feelings.

 

“I could just tell. It was intuition. He liked me, I knew it. He was fighting it, tooth and nail and I just…” She sighs. “Nothing happened...on the trip, anyway.”

 

Ramonda’s face is neutral but there’s a knowing look in her eye, though thankfully, it’s free of judgement or anger. “So when did something happen? Because I know it did, eventually. You didn’t just get that mark on your neck last night from a lapse in good judgement.”

 

Shuri’s hand flies to her her neck and she thinks she pales. She’d forgotten all about the hickey. Shit.

 

“I uh...it was a few days later.” She tries not to get into the nitty gritty explicit details of the matter. She knows she can tell her mother everything, but there’s some parts she has to keep to herself. Besides, Ramonda can fill in the blanks. “And it’s been ever since. We’ve been careful, Mama, I promise.”

 

“Are you on...any kind of-”

 

“Yeah. I um. I started a little while after we decided to keep on...um.”

 

She coughs when Shuri finishes and holds her hand up. “I understand. And you say this man, Sergeant Barnes is...your first?”

 

Shuri nods, hoping to Bast she isn’t blushing right now.

 

“And I assume it wasn’t unpleasant. Which is always a good thing. I’m assuming you used precautions then as well.” Shuri nods once more and Ramonda draws in a careful breath.  “Well. Since you’ve gotten that off your chest, I suppose I should get a little something off mine.”

 

Shuri frowns, confused at what her mother has to say.

 

“I knew.”

 

To call her expression gaping would be an understatement, and she stares blankly ahead of her, wind rushing out her lungs at that. “You...knew? About it all?” Ramonda nods. “Even when I snuck out and-”

 

“Mmmhm. How do you think you got away with leaving so often, hmm? Why do you think you were able to sneak away from the wedding last night for so long? And by the way, your friend D’Wobe is a terrible liar.”

 

Shuri snorts, laughing a bit and shaking her head. “ _Bast_. All this time, and I thought…”

 

“I’m not stupid,” Ramonda says, raising one elegant brow, a soft smile on her beautiful face. “Neither is Nakia. Neither is Okoye. We’ve seen, we’ve known. It was simply a matter of time to see when the bubble would burst.”

 

Shuri blinks, rubbing her eyes and cursing herself for not washing all her makeup off last night. There was still mascara under her eyes and smeared all over her hands now. She hides them in the robe and tilted her head at her mother’s little revelation.

 

“You mean to tell me that all that Okoye said to Buck was just-”

 

“You mean warning him to leave you be?” Ramonda shook her head. “It’s one of the things we disagreed on. I didn’t find it necessary to threaten him away, neither did Nakia.”

 

Shuri snorts. “It didn’t really work, in case you can’t tell.”

 

The queen mother smiles slyly. “Not at all. He’s determined to love you no matter what.”

 

“Huh.” The barest thread of hope began to unfurl in her heart and she sat up a little straighter on the bed. “If you knew, why didn’t you say something? Why didn’t you stop it?”

 

“Why should I? You were never in any danger, Bibi. I watched him, after I realized what was going on. And he loves you, so very much. Would I have picked him for you?” She waves a hand and shrugs. “No. But who _I_ want for you and who _you_ want are two very different things. And truthfully...what you want is what is important. Never forget that. You may be a princess, you may have a duty to this nation, to your people...but your heart needs to be protected and cared for, too.”

 

Ramonda sighed and reached out to cradle her daughter’s cheek in her hands. Shuri leaned into the touch and closed her eyes for a moment, opening them to find wise eyes staring back at her, love and a little sadness in them. “Mama...what’s wrong?”

 

“I wanted to let you make your own decisions and mistakes, no matter how hard it was to do so. I know Koye and your brother would let you stay a little girl forever, and I know how much that frustrates you. But I was there when he saw you the first time. He took you in his arms and he swore to me and his Baba that he would protect you with his life. Forever. And when Okoye joined the Dora, you were barely toddling along and...well, she let you follow her all over the palace, out to the training yard, wherever you wanted to go because she swore she’d see you were safe if I wasn’t there.” Ramonda pauses and draws in a shaky breath, tears forming in the corner of her eyes.

 

“You have grown, my sweet girl. And I could not be a prouder mother. But you must give them time to see that. I know you know what you’re doing. I know you know your own mind and heart, and have for most of your life. But it will take them time. Give them that.”

 

Shuri looks away from her mother’s teary eyes and sighs. She hates seeing her mama cry, no matter the reason. After Baba had died, there had been many a night spent in this very bed, curled up around each other and sobbing, asking when the hurt would subside. Eventually, with time, it had become manageable until it was now a dull bruise, one she hit every so often and winced about. But the memories of her father, his love and strength and kind heart and how much he had adored his children and his wife soothed much of the hurt that his death had caused.

 

“I can do that. I can.” She swallows, leans forward and wraps Ramonda into a tight hug. “I’m just scared, is all.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because...what if...what if T’Challa tries to take him away from me?”

 

Ramonda pulls back and makes Shuri meet her gaze. “Do you really think your brother would take someone that makes you so happy from you?” She tsked as if the very thought was absurd. “Oh, he’s angry right now. He has a good reason for that anger, Bibi, one I don’t suppose you truly understand.”

 

“Then explain, Mama. I need to know. I don’t want him to be angry with me-”

 

“With you? _Bast_ , no. With James. Perhaps that anger is misguided...and if I know my son, I know he’ll realize he’s let his temper get the best of him. But the reasons for it have very real roots that can’t be ignored. Especially not considering who he is and where he comes from, and who you are and where you come from.

 

Shuri sighs and nods. “I’m willing to listen, if you’ll tell me.”

 

“Are you?”

 

She takes her mother’s hand in hers, nods once more. “I am. I won’t say a word, just listen.”

 

“Good.” Ramonda, leans back against the headboard and pulls the covers up around them both, handing Shuri her lukewarm cup of tea. “Sip this while we talk, Bibi.”

 

Shuri settled in the bed and took a sip of the tea, eyes clear and ears open. There was the underlying promise that what her mother had to say wouldn’t be easy to hear, but she made herself a promise that she would take it all in, no judgement, no interruptions.

 

“I suppose I should have told you this earlier, but truthfully, I never thought I’d need to. I didn’t anticipate your brother would open our borders to outsiders in my lifetime...and especially to whites.”

 

Oh...so that’s what this was about. But she keeps mum, nodding along to let her mother know she followed her line of thinking.

 

“And that’s really the issue, or at least, one of them. Because, you see...colonization has destroyed so much and-”

 

Ramonda shakes her head, and taps her nails against her own teacup.

 

“I believe your Sergeant has a pure heart,” she continues. “But not all men like him do. And that, my love, is the crux of your brother’s anger. All of this started so long ago, and yet, we still feel its effects today. And you haven’t seen as much of the world as T’Challa or Okoye has. I’ve sheltered you. Perhaps that was a mistake.”

 

“You did what you felt would protect me,” Shuri says, trying to placate her. Ramonda smiles, but shakes her head.

 

“Yes, and so far I’ve been lucky it hasn’t done more harm than good. But not all girls like you are as lucky, Bibi. That is what I need to tell you. That is what will follow you if you tell the world about this, if everyone finds out about your love. That will be on the forefront of everyone’s mind when they see the two of you together.”

 

“Mama…”

 

“Just listen, Shuri,” she says gently.

 

Shuri does.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I am, as always, on tumblr being a heathen. Come say hi, ya'll. <3
> 
> lilithenaltum.tumblr.com


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